Bob Hoskins Has Died Aged 71
Actor, best known for The Long Good Friday, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Mona Lisa, Much loved actor Bob Hoskins has died aged 71 from pneumonia, his agent Clair Dobbs has confirmed.

He was best known roles in films such as ‘The Long Good Friday’, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘Hook’, Nixon’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’. His final performance was ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’.

Hoskins was almost as famous for his appearances in the long running BT adverts, with the immortal catchphrase “It’s good to talk”.

The actor announced in 2012 that he had retired from acting on 8 August 2012, due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease.

By Mike Whitney
Washington wants to weaken Moscow economically by slashing its gas revenues and, thus, eroding its ability to defend itself or its interests. The US does not want an economically-integrated Europe and Asia. The de facto EU-Russian alliance is a direct threat to US global hegemony.”

April 29, 2014 “ICH” – “CP” – US provocations in Ukraine cannot be understood apart from Washington’s “Pivot to Asia”, which is the broader strategic plan to shift attention from the Middle East to Asia. The so called “re-balancing” is actually a blueprint for controlling China’s growth in a way that is compatible with US hegemonic ambitions. There are different schools of thought about how this can be achieved, but loosely speaking they fall into two categories, “dragon slayers” and “panda huggers”. Dragon slayers favor a strategy of containment while panda huggers favor engagement. As yet, the final shape of the policy has not been decided, but it’s clear from hostilities in the South China Sea and the Senkaku Islands, that the plan will depend heavily on military force.

So what does controlling China have to do with the dust up in Ukraine?

Everything. Washington sees Russia as a growing threat to its plans for regional dominance. The problem is, Moscow has only gotten stronger as it has expanded its network of oil and gas pipelines across Central Asia into Europe. That’s why Washington has decided to use Ukraine is a staging ground for an attack on Russia, because a strong Russia that’s economically integrated with Europe is a threat to US hegemony. Washington wants a weak Russia that won’t challenge US presence in Central Asia or its plan to control vital energy resources.

Currently, Russia provides about 30 percent of Western and Central Europe’s natural gas, 60 percent of which transits Ukraine. People and businesses in Europe depend on Russian gas to heat their homes and run their machinery. The trading relationship between the EU and Russia is mutually-beneficial strengthening both buyer and seller alike. The US gains nothing from the EU-Russia partnership, which is why Washington wants to block Moscow’s access to critical markets. This form of commercial sabotage is an act of war.

At one time, the representatives of big oil, thought they could compete with Moscow by building alternate (pipeline) systems that would meet the EU’s prodigious demand for natural gas. But the plan failed, so Washington has moved on to Plan B; cutting off the flow of gas from Russia to the EU. By interposing itself between the two trading partners, the US hopes to oversee the future distribution of energy supplies and control economic growth on two continents.

The problem Obama and Co. are going to have, is trying to convince people in the EU that their interests are actually being served by paying twice as much to heat their homes in 2015 as they did in 2014, which is the way things are going to shake out if the US plan succeeds. In order to accomplish that feat, the US is making every effort to lure Putin into a confrontation so the media can denounce him as a vicious aggressor and a threat to European security. Demonizing Putin will provide the necessary justification for stopping the flow of gas from Russia to the EU, which will further weaken the Russian economy while providing new opportunities for NATO to establish forward-operating bases on Russia’s Western perimeter.

It makes no difference to Obama whether people are gouged on gas prices or simply freeze to death in the cold. What matters is the “pivot” to the world’s most promising and prosperous markets of the next century. What matters is crushing Moscow by slashing gas revenues thus eroding its ability to defend itself or its interests. What matters is global hegemony and world domination. That’s what really counts. Everyone knows this. To follow the daily incidents in Ukraine as though they could be separated from the big picture is ridiculous. They’re all part of the same sick strategy. Here’s a clip from former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski in Foreign Affairs explaining how–as far as Washington is concerned–it makes no sense to have separate policies for Europe and Asia:

“With Eurasia now serving as the decisive geopolitical chessboard, it no longer suffices to fashion one policy for Europe and another for Asia. What happens with the distribution of power on the Eurasian landmass will be of decisive importance to America’s global primacy and historical legacy.” (“The danger of war in Asia“, World Socialist Web Site)

It’s all about the pivot to Asia and the future of the empire. This is why the CIA and the US State Department engineered a coup to oust Ukrainian president Viktor Yonuchovych and replace him with a US-stooge who would do Obama’s bidding. This is why the imposter prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, has ordered two “anti-terror: crackdowns on unarmed activists in East Ukraine who oppose the Kiev junta. This is why the Obama administration has avoided engaging Putin in constructive dialog aimed at finding on a peaceful solution to the present crisis. It’s because Obama wants to draw the Kremlin into a protracted civil war that will weaken Russia, discredit Putin, and shift public opinion to the side of the US and NATO. Why would Washington veer from a policy that clearly achieves what it’s supposed to achieve? It won’t. Here’s an excerpt from an article on antiwar.com:

“Reports out of Moscow say that President Putin has “shut down” all talks with President Obama, and say they are “not interested” in speaking to the US again under the current environment of threats and hostility.

Putin and Obama had been speaking regularly on the phone about Ukraine in March and early April, but Putin has not directly spoken to him since April 14, and the Kremlin says that they see no need to do any more talking.” (“Putin Halts Talks With White House Amid Sanctions Threats”, antiwar.com)

There’s nothing to be gained by talking to Obama. Putin already knows what Obama wants. He wants war. That’s why the State Department and CIA toppled the government. That’s why CIA Director John Brennan appeared in Kiev just one day before coup president Yatsenyuk ordered the first crackdown on pro Russian protestors in the East. That’s why Vice President Joe Biden appeared in Kiev just hours before Yatsenyuk launched his second crackdown on pro Russian protestors in the East. That’s why Yatsenyuk has surrounded the eastern city of Slavyansk where he is preparing an attack on pro-Russian activists. It’s because Washington believes that a violent conflagration serves its greater interests. It’s pointless to talk to people like that, which is why Putin has stopped trying.

At present, the Obama administration is pushing for another round of sanctions on Russia, but members in the EU are dragging their feet. According to RT:

“At the moment there is no consensus among the EU members on which economic measures against Russia would be acceptable, or even if they are needed at all,” a European diplomatic source told Itar-Tass.

The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said only an open military invasion of Ukraine or irrefutable proof of Russian clandestine military presence in Ukraine would tip EU’s stance toward economic sanctions. So far every piece of evidence that Kiev and Washington made public of alleged involvement of Russian agents in Ukraine was either inconclusive or simply false.” (“US failing to push economic sanctions against Russia through EU allies”, RT)

Once again, it appears that Washington needs to draw Russian troops into the conflict to achieve its objectives.

On Sunday, RIA Novosti published satellite images showing a large buildup of troops outside the eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk. According to a report in Russia Today:

“160 tanks, 230 APCs and BMDs, and at least 150 artillery and rocket systems, including “Grad” and “Smerch” multiple rocket launchers, have been deployed to the area. A total of 15,000 troops are positioned near Slavyansk, he said….

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the large buildup of Ukraine troops, as well as war games and additional deployments of armed forces to the NATO states in the region have “forced” Russia to respond with military drills of its own…..If Kiev choses to escalate the crackdown on the protesters by using heavy arms against them Russia says it reserves the right to use its own military to stop bloodshed.” (“Tanks, APCs, 15,000 troops’: Satellite images show Kiev forces build-up near Slavyansk”, RT)

Putin has stated repeatedly that he will respond if ethnic Russians are killed in Ukraine. That’s the red line. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the same message in an interview last week with RT’s Sophie Shevardnadze. The usually soft-spoken Lavrov, condemned Yatsenyuk’s attack on Ukrainian civilians as “criminal” and warned that “an attack on Russian citizens is an attack on the Russian Federation.”

The statement was followed by ominous reports of Russian troop movements near Ukraine’s border indicating that Moscow may be preparing to intervene to stem the violence against civilians. According to Russian Russia’s Itar Tass “Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, “As of today exercises of battalion tactical groups has begun in the border areas with Ukraine.” Also aviation will conduct flights to simulate the actions near the state border.”

So there you have it: It looks like Obama’s provocations WILL draw Putin into the fray after all. But will things turn out the way that Obama thinks they will? Will Putin follow Washington’s script and leave his troops in the east where they’ll be picked off by US-funded paramilitary guerillas and neo Nazis or does he have something else up his sleeve, like a quick blitz to Kiev to remove the junta government, call for international peacekeepers to quell the violence, and slip back over the border to safety?

Whatever the strategy may be, we won’t have to wait long to see it implemented. If Yatsenyuk’s army attacks Slavyansk, then Putin’s going to send in the tanks and it’ll be a whole new ballgame.

Max Clifford found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault
PUBLISHED: APRIL 28, 2014 courtesy of the olive press ,(if you have any objection to me printing your article please contact me and it will be removed asap)

Max Clifford found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault

CELEBRITY publicist Max Clifford has been found guilty of eight charges of sexual assault, including two separate incidents on the Costa del Sol.
Clifford, a regular in Southern Spain, faced 11 counts of indecent assault between 1966 and 1984 in the UK.
After eight days of jury deliberations, he was cleared of two counts and they were unable to reach a verdict in the other. He will be sentenced this Friday.
The 71-year-old was accused of manipulating seven girls and women into performing sex acts over many years.
He sexually abused a teenager he met in Torremolinos while she was on holiday with her parents in 1977.
Another woman claimed to have been molested by Clifford in a jacuzzi in Calahonda when she was a 12-year-old girl

Now 43, she described a ‘tickling game’ that Clifford played with her before the alleged assault.
Clifford is the first person to be convicted under Operation Yewtree, after being arrested in December 2012 as part of the inquiry and charged last April.
Judge Anthony Leonard told the jury of six men and four women last week that he would accept a majority verdict of nine to one if they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Clifford did a lot of PR work in the Marbella area, including club La Costa and the Polo House restaurant.
He also offered his services to Marbella Town Hall, however it was decided the €10,000 a month he demanded was too high.
The ‘Max Clifford Celebrity Golf Challenge and Butterfly Ball’ is a key event in the Marbella social calendar, hosted annually by Clifford in aid of the Rhys Daniels Trust, of which Clifford in the patron.
The star-studded event takes place at the La Cala Golf Resort in Mijas, near Marbella,

READER COMMENTS »

Michael

APRIL 28TH, 2014 8:18 PM

Im amazed you haven’t suggested he was a friend of Nigel Goldman’s given all the other ‘friends’ he has suddenly acquired! Bet you moderate this comment like you did my last one!

Jon Clarke (Publisher)

APRIL 28TH, 2014 9:31 PM

Hi Michael,
Not the slightest bit of moderation. Only when comments are racist, crude or potentially libellous do we do that…
So you would know all Nigel Goldman’s friends would you?
All the lovely, above board, decent people he mixed with? Why not shed some light…
Of course you must be referring to serial (now imprisoned) fraudster Richard Pope, who Goldman spent a good deal of time with on various social occasions down here, while he was on the run and lying low… or did we get that wrong? Please tell.
And, as it happens, we are certain Goldman also mixed with Max Clifford, many times and at many places on the coast. And we would welcome readers comments or information on Clifford’s many trips down to the Costa del Sol, and who exactly he mixed with.
Oh and what a shame his regular soujourns to the Costa del Sol sprinkling his own brand of twisted stardust have now come to a timely end… for at least a decade. Even two decades if he gets treated the same way as Mike Souter! Another friend of Goldman’s perhaps???????????

Morris

APRIL 29TH, 2014 12:45 AM

What has Nigel Goldman to do with this story? Surely not everyone can be guilty by association or even friendship or by just passing someone in the street! Saying that, what has happened to the Goldman story? Has the trail gone cold? I was told he deleted his Facebook profile a few weeks ago!

With regards Max Clifford, he did seem to have many associates and friends here, not least a now “retired” radio DJ who is currently writing his memoirs apparently. That individual is also said to have had ‘experience’ of the ‘younger’ women which I understand he admitted! No smoke without fire maybe and he professed to be a good friend of Clifford’s! That’s what he always said on the radio anyway. Where is he now?

tomie jones.interesting statements morris though i have no idea who you are referring to, retired dj ,writing memoirs, experience with younger women ,what exactly do you mean by experience with younger women?¿though now i think about it there is one person who lives on the costa del sol ,for the life of me i cannot bring his name to mind.

jon I HOPE I MAY CALL YOU JON , I can only say that i agree 100% with you r remarks .i think you will find that associates of Max are running scared at the moment and trying to distance themselves, (the comparison rats leaving a sinking ship comes to mind) .

list of names, were are friends or business associates,of one or more of each other.It is of my opinion that one or all are friends with each other, at this point i want to state ,that i am not making any accusations or claims against any of the people named. All that i am saying is they all have a connection to each other however tenuous it is.PEOPLE ARE JUDGED BY THE COMPANY THEY KEEP ,though what company you keep does not mean you agree , condone, OR PARTICIPATE in the actions of the said company.

MAX CLIFFORD(CONVICTED OF 8 INDECENT ASSAULT CHARGES)-RICHARD POPE(INTERNATIONAL FRAUDSTER)-NIGEL GOLDMAN(ALLEGED CON MAN AND FRAUDSTER)-MIKE SOUTER(CONVICTED PAEDOPHILE X REM RADIO PRESENTER)-BARRIE NATHAN(X ESTATE AGENT AND RADIO PRESENTER REM , TRE)-MAURICE BOLAND (X RADIO PRESENTER ,WAS OWNER OF REM AND , TRE).JEFFREY AARCHER(X CONVICT SERVED TIME HOLDS TITLE OF LORD) JIMMY STARBUCK ( CONVICTED THIEF IN THE 60S RETIRED COMIC)I AM SURE ALL WOULD SAY THAT THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF EACH OTHERS BUSINESS AND THAT THERE RELATIONSHIPS WERE INNOCENT AND SOCIAL I AM SURE THEY ARE WERE.

NO ACCUSATIONS OR ASSUMPTIONS ARE MADE, I only say one should be careful of who you climb into bed with, metaphorically speaking

April 28, 2014 – There is little reason for anyone to get very exercised, either with enthusiasm or with dismay, over the latest announced reconciliation between Hamas and the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organization. After all, such unity agreements between these two entities have been announced in the past and never went very far. Maybe something more will come from this one, but that prior record should put the possibilities into perspective. Palestinians have politics just like other people do, including chronic differences of view and the occasional gesture that makes it look like all of those differences have been overcome even if they haven’t.
But we should be dismayed, though not surprised, by how the Israeli government, with the United States falling in line behind it, has reacted to this announcement, just as those governments have reacted to previous announced agreements between Hamas and the PLO. That reaction essentially consists of invoking a label or slogan as if it were an acceptable substitute for policy. Hamas is said to be a “terrorist” organization and as such not an acceptable interlocutor for negotiations. (In fact, Israel has engaged in extensive and detailed negotiations with Hamas over exchanges of prisoners.) Terrorism is a tactic, one whose use comes and goes, not a fixed category of people or of groups. If previous use of that tactic were to be a negotiating disqualifier forever, a lot of useful business would not get done, including on the very conflict at hand. We went through all this with the PLO; there was a time when Israel was vehemently opposed to anyone even talking to the PLO, much less negotiating with it, and went as far as assassinating the organization’s representatives to try to keep the United States from talking to it. The birth of the state of Israel also included much terrorism, perpetrated by men who went on to become top leaders of Israel.

The Israeli prime minister says Hamas is “dedicated to the destruction of Israel.” Actually, Hamas leaders have repeatedly made clear a much different posture, one that involves indefinite peaceful coexistence with Israel even if they officially term it only a hudna or truce. It would be more accurate to say that Israel is dedicated to the destruction of Hamas, an objective that Israel has demonstrated with not just its words but its deeds, including prolonged collective punishment of the population of the Gaza Strip in an effort to strangle the group. Such efforts have included large-scale violence that—although carried out overtly by military forces and thus not termed terrorism—has been every bit as lethal to innocent civilians. In such circumstances, why should Hamas be expected to be the first to go beyond the vocabulary of hudna and mouth some alternative words about the status of its adversary?

The Israeli and U.S. reactions do not seem to take account of the fact that the terms of the announced Hamas-PLO reconciliation are undetermined and still under negotiation. The agreement can involve Hamas moving much more toward the posture of Abbas and the PLO than the other way around. Palestinian Authority representatives already have indicated that there will not be a change in its fundamental stance of recognizing Israel and seeking to resolve the conflict with it peacefully through negotiations. Hamas representatives have pointed out that support for a governing coalition with an established set of policies does not require each party that is part of that government to express identical policies on its own behalf. In fact, that is true of coalition governments everywhere. The coalition government in Britain does things that you won’t find in the Liberal Democrats’ platform.

Members of the current Israeli government certainly should understand this principle. Members of that government who are even more extreme than Benjamin Netanyahu have called for Israel to annex immediately all or most of the West Bank, which would be flagrantly inconsistent with the whole concept of negotiating an agreement with the Palestinians. Does that mean the Palestinians should no longer negotiate with the Israeli government?

There is good circumstantial evidence to suggest that it will indeed be Hamas that will be making more of the concessions in any bridging of gaps between it and the PLO. Although the unity announcement reflects weakness of both of the Palestinian parties, Hamas is currently the weaker of the two, in the wake of the Egyptian military’s coup and campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt’s resumption of participation in the strangulation of Gaza.

The Israeli and U.S. posture toward Hamas is fundamentally self-contradictory. It involves saying that a certain form of behavior is unacceptable and then making impossible the use of alternative behavior. It involves saying that we don’t like a group because it has used violence instead of peaceful negotiations, and then refusing to negotiate with it. The same self-contradictory posture was exhibited in 2006, when Hamas did the most that any party could do to be accepted as a legitimate, peacefully installed representative of its people—it contested and won a free and fair election—but then Israel and the United States refused to recognize the election result. That not only contradicted the rationale for not talking to Hamas but also contradicted a supposed commitment to democracy.

Greater unity and cooperation between Fatah and Hamas is fundamentally a good thing for whatever possibility remains of a negotiated two-state solution, because a single Palestinian negotiating team that can plausibly and legitimately speak for the Palestinian people as a whole is necessary for reaching such an agreement. The reality of the Gaza Strip cannot be wished away. In the meantime, however, this latest announcement has become yet another excuse for Netanyahu not to negotiate seriously or not to negotiate at all.

The ugliness of UKIP has yet again reared its ugly face and been exposed by Enfield local election candidate William Henwood and his racist comment about Lenny Henry. Henwood said “Lenny should emigrate to a black country. He does not have to live with whites.” after commenting on Lenny’s view that ethnic representation in media and broadcasting is poorly represented & needs to improve.
Henwood then told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think if black people come to this country and don’t like mixing with white people why are they here? If he (Henry) wants a lot of blacks around, go and live in a black country.”

First and foremost William Henwood is out of touch and it’s inappropriate and backward for any politician or political candidate to ask a British person to emigrate regardless of their ethnicity, background or race. LBC late night radio presenter Cristos Foufas then picked up on Henwood’s comment and asked his listeners on twitter whether “it was offensive”?

2014-04-27-LbcEdpic.PNG

Of course it was offensive, should we be given the right to tell people regardless whether they are British to go back to their Irish, Spanish, Nigerian, Indian and other descendent places of origin. Nope, because it’s racist and ignorant. UKIP seem confused on who they are trying to appeal to. They openly say they are merely addressing the immigration issue concerning Eastern Europeans. Lenny Henry is not Eastern European? He is British, born and bred who has contributed fully through his profession as an actor and comedian. The builder featured in UKIP’s recent advertising campaign was found to be an Irish Migrant Worker. So it seems UKIP are having problems trying to find British born workers on their immigration spin.

With regards to the diversity debate Lenny Henry is right. I often question why certain broadcast outlets fail to represent our multicultural society. In many cases it’s the same old stereotype when I often visit various media and broadcast outlets and witness the typecasting with Black and Asian security guards usually found at reception and middle class White executives elsewhere. It’s worrying and sometimes depicts an elitist middle class playground with no room at the inn for ethnic or working classes. Lenny is right to address the issue and should be highly commended. I am glad Ed Vaizey, Culture Secretary and Danny Cohen, BBC Director of Television are working with Lenny and various media outlets to combat the problem and help to ensure more steps are taken to improve greater roles and opportunities. The recent launch of local TV network London Live has helped to address this with more placements of ethnic on and off screen talent to offer a broad and diverse mix. More should be done elsewhere by other outlets.

Beyond Media and Broadcasting it’s a raw deal with parliament and other institutions still lacking in terms of reflecting that social and cultural change. If changes were implemented I’m sure the likes of William Henwood and his cronies would refrain from passing such absurd, old fashioned and racist comments. As for UKIP they are a bunch of old Men with cigars who still live in 1970’s Britain with closet far right ideologies. Those days are over and done with. Does UKIP actually know what being British means and what it represents? I would love to meet up with Nigel Farage and put that question to directly him. He would probably attack me with unnecessary facts and statistics and end up saying “We’re not racists, we love Black, Asian and ethnic people”. I will not judge and allow Nigel to have his say. Let’s face it if we trace our family trees and background I bet none of us are actually British. My close circles of friends, the majority are born and bred in Britain but their family origins are varied. It’s pointless to address.

Education is vital and key to ensure ignorance does not infiltrate or play centre ground to the next generation. It can be damaging from the outset through taunts and bullying as these types of comments are picked up and breed ignorance and hatred. More initiatives need to be put in place to weed out this type of nonsense. Let’s not allow bigotry to destroy what’s great and unique about Britain.

A teenage pupil has been arrested after a female teacher was stabbed to death in front of other students at a secondary school in Leeds.
Police say the 15-year-old is being held in connection with the attack at Corpus Christi Catholic College.
The 61-year-old woman has been named locally as Anne Maguire and is believed to have taught Spanish and been a head of year at the school.
Officers were called to the school at 11.48am after a report a member of staff had been stabbed. A knife has been recovered by police at the scene.
Chief Superintendent Paul Money said the teacher suffered a number of stab wounds and was taken to hospital for treatment, but subsequently pronounced dead.
“A 15-year-old male pupil from the school was detained at the scene by other members of teaching staff immediately after the incident occurred,” he said.
“The alarm was raised by students in the school, some of whom witnessed the offence. There were a number of stab wounds to the lady in question.”
He added that pupils were “in a state of shock” following the tragedy and would receive counselling from specially trained professionals.
Pupil Georgina Kilroy, 16, said the woman had been a teacher for 40 years.
Speaking outside the school, she said: “I don’t know anyone who didn’t like her. She was spot on. You couldn’t ask for a better teacher.”
Georgina said her teacher broke down when she told the children the news. She said they were previously told a teacher had gone to hospital but that lessons had continued.
Prime Minister David Cameron described the killing as “profoundly shocking and absolutely appalling”.
“All our thoughts are with the teacher’s family, with the school, with all the pupils who study there,” he said.
Pupils and former pupils have also been paying tribute to the teacher on social media, with one describing her as an “inspirational woman” and saying she “wouldn’t have made it through high school without her”.
Meanwhile, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “This is a truly awful thing to have happened to a teacher in the course of her work to educate the next generation.
“Appalling events like this are thankfully very rare indeed but the death of any teacher in her place of work, which should be a place of safety, is devastating. Our condolences go to the family and friends of this teacher, and to students and colleagues at the school.
There are nearly 1,000 pupils on the roll aged between 11 and 16, according to the school’s website, which also says it has a “strong Christian ethos”.

tomie jones IF THIS IS AN example of Christian ethos I AM GLAD I AM AN ATHEIST,